Method for entering a character sequence into an electronic device as well as an electronic device for performing said method

ABSTRACT

Method for entering a character sequence consisting o one or more characters into an electronic device, which device comprises keys for entering keystrokes by a user as well a display panel for presenting information to the user, wherein a group of characters is presented on the display panel in the form of a matrix composed of rows and columns, wherein at least one specific character can be pointed by means of a cursor which is movable through said matrix, and wherein the character sequence is constructed by pointing out consecutive characters one by one by means of the cursor and said character is entered by means of a keystroke. According the invention the method is characterized in that in order to enter a specific character from the character sequence the cursor moves automatically in a first direction through a specific row or column, thereby sequentially pointing out the characters in said row or column; the automatically moving cursor can be moved towards the row or column of the specific character by means of one or more first and/or second keystrokes.

The invention relates to a method for entering a character sequenceconsisting of one or more characters into an electronic device, whichdevice also comprises keys for entering keystrokes by a user as well adisplay panel for presenting information to the user, wherein a group ofcharacters is presented on the display panel in the form of a matrixcomposed of rows and columns, wherein at least one specific charactercan be pointed out by means of a cursor which is movable through saidmatrix and wherein the character sequence is constructed by pointing outconsecutive characters in the sequence one by one by means of the cursorand entering the character in question by means of a keystroke.

The invention furthermore relates to an electronic device, for example,a portable telephone, which also comprises keys which enable a user toenter keystrokes, as well as a display panel for presenting informationto the user, which device is suitable for entering a character sequencecomposed of one or more successive characters in accordance with themethod according to the invention.

Such a method and electronic device are disclosed, for example, inInternational patent publication WO 97/35413 which presents a mobiletelephone comprising a display panel on which the digits 0-9 arepresented in the form of a matrix consisting of two rows and fivecolumns. A cursor can be moved through said matrix by means of four keysfor the purpose of pointing out a particular digit which digit can beentered by means of another keystroke. In this way the user can enter asequence of digits which forms, for example, a telephone number.

Although the number of keys in such an electronic device can beconsiderably reduced, the user needs to move the cursor through thematrix in order to enter a telephone number, this requires a substantialnumber of keystrokes.

Although the number of digits involved in the entering of numbers andfigures, for example, for telephone numbers, is limited to ten, and thenumber of keystrokes also remains limited, the method according to WO97/35413 is not very suitable for entering a character sequenceconsisting of alphanumeric characters. In such an application, thematrix will be composed of at least the twenty-six letters of thealphabet plus the digits 0-9, which gives a 6×6 matrix, as a consequenceof which several keystrokes are required for moving the cursor throughsaid extensive matrix.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improvement incomparison with the subject matter that is disclosed in WO 97/35413, andmore in particular it is an object of the invention to provide a methodas referred to in the introduction, which enables the user to enter acharacter sequence into an electronic device by means of a significantlysmaller number of keys and keystrokes.

According the invention, the method for entering a character sequenceinto an electronic device is characterized in that in order to enter aspecific character from the character sequence the cursor movesautomatically in a first direction through a specific row or column,thereby sequentially pointing out the characters in said row or column,and in that the automatically moving cursor can be moved towards the rowor column of the specific character by means of one or more first and/orsecond keystrokes. In this manner the number of keystrokes to be enteredby the user is significantly reduced, resulting in a reduced physicalburden on the user, whilst in addition an electronic device implementingthe method according to the invention can be provided which comprises aconsiderably smaller number of keys.

According to the invention, it is possible to realize an even moresimplified manoeuvering of the cursor through the matrix in that it ispossible to change the automatic movement of the cursor through thematrix from the first direction of movement into a second direction ofmovement, opposing said first direction of movement, by means of atleast one third keystroke and/or at least one fourth keystroke.

In order to effect a simple entry of a desired character from thematrix, the movement of the cursor in the row or column in question isinterrupted by means of a fifth keystroke. The character pointed out bythe cursor can then be entered into the electronic device by means ofanother first keystroke.

Presentation of the alphanumerical character pointed out by the cursorcan take place in upper case or in lower case, which can be effected bymeans of a second keystroke. Furthermore, the character that has beenentered last can be deleted by means of a third keystroke or a space canbe entered by means of a fourth keystroke.

After the alphanumerical character in question has been entered, theautomatic movement of the cursor in the row or column in question canaccording to the invention be resumed by means of a second fifthkeystroke.

A simplified as well as ergonomically improved electric device in whichthe method according to the invention is implemented can be obtained inthat in accordance with the invention said third and said fourthkeystroke can be entered with one and the same key. The allocation ofdifferent entry functions to the same key makes it possible to realizethis simplification.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to adrawing, in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the methodaccording to the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the method according to theinvention.

FIG. 1 shows a (part of an) electronic device 1, on the front side 1 aof which a display panel 2, for example an LCD screen, is present.Alphanumerical keys are presented on the display panel 2 in the form ofa 6×6 matrix, which is in this embodiment constructed of rows 1-6 andcolumns a-f. In this example, the alphanumerical characters of thismatrix consist of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, thepunctuation marks “.”, “!”, “?”, “,” as well as a specific controlcharacter “*”. Column f consists mainly of spaces “ ” whose functionwill be explained hereafter.

Furthermore, a cursor 3 is presented in the matrix on the display panel2, which cursor can point out a character, for example, in reversevideo; in the figure, the letter “m” is pointed out in row 3, column c.The cursor can also point out a character in the matrix in another way,for example, by causing said character to blink or by accentuating theedges of the matrix cell (3, c) being indicated.

Furthermore, five keys U, D, L, R and C are present on the front side ofthe electronic device 1.

Although only part of the electronic device will be explained in thepresent description of the figures, the electronic device may be a“personal digital assistant”, for example, or a mobile telephone or aTV-set co-operating with a separate remote control console provided withkeys.

Although a 6×6 matrix is shown in the figures, it will be apparent thatthe matrix used in the implementation of the method according to theinvention may have any form as regards the number of rows and/orcolumns. The matrix can be extended, for example, with the digits 0-9.Furthermore, specific matrix cells of the matrix can be pointed out bymeans of a figure or an icon or a control character presented otherwise,the user can then instruct the electronic device to carry out a specifictask by energizing the matrix cell in question. Such control charactersmay be programmed by the user, for example to call a specific telephonenumber or to carry out a specific task such as starting an electronicmemo book management program.

In accordance with the method according to the invention, the cursor 3moves automatically through a row or a column of the matrix. In theexamples illustrated in the figures, the cursor 3 moves either in thehorizontal direction through row 3 or in the vertical direction throughcolumn c. The moving cursor 3 sequentially points out the characters inthe respective row or column. The user can maneuver the automaticallymoving cursor through the matrix by means of keys U and D, respectively;the user can move the cursor one row upwards or one column to the leftby striking the key U. Likewise, the user can move the cursor 3 one rowdownwards or one column to the right by striking the key D. The user canthus maneuver the cursor 3 through a matrix composed of a considerablenumber of rows and columns while using a considerably smaller number ofkeystrokes in comparison with the application disclosed in thepreviously discussed International patent publication WO 97/35413.

In accordance with the invention, the electronic device also comprises akey C enabling the user to interrupt the movement or animation of thecursor 3 through the matrix, for example when the character to beentered is being pointed out by the cursor 3.

According to the invention, the various keys U, D, L and R arefurthermore allocated a different function in this interrupted state. Inthe interrupted state (that is, after the key C has been depressedonce), the key D can, for example, be used to enter the character inquestion, whilst the key U is linked to the function “upper case/lowercase”. Pressing the key U will convert the character being pointed outfrom upper case to lower case and vice versa The key L, which has beenallocated a deleting function, can be used to delete the character inquestion or the character that has been entered last. The key R can beused for entering a socalled space.

The interrupted state is terminated by pressing the key C again, afterwhich the cursor 3 will continue its movement or animation through thematrix in the column or row in question. To this end, the keys U and Dare allocated their original function again, that is, moving theautomatically moving cursor 3 up or down or to the left or to the rightthrough the matrix.

In the animation state, the keys L and R are used to set the directionof movement of the cursor 3 through the matrix. The key R can be used toset the direction of movement of the cursor 3 through the matrix “fromthe left to the right” or “downwards from above”, whilst the key L isused to set the direction of movement of cursor 3 “from the right to theleft” or “upwards from below”. Striking one of the two keys L or Renables the user to move quickly and efficiently through the matrix,i.e. with fewer keystrokes.

Although the arrangement of the alphanumeric characters in the matrixaccording to FIG. 1 is given merely by way of example and all kinds ofdifferent arrangements are possible, including digits 0-9, severalspaces are included in column f for ease of operation. The user can thusenter a space more quickly, for example after having entered a word, theuser thus need not maneuver the cursor 3 to the only matrix cell thatrepresents a “space” each time a space must be entered. This also leadsto a significant reduction of the number of keystrokes necessary, forexample, for entering a sentence.

In another embodiment of the method according to the invention (againsee FIG. 1) then the cursor 3 moves through the matrix in a specific rowor column; the user can move the cursor 3 up or down or to the left orto the right by means of the keys U and D, respectively. In this secondembodiment, however, the keys L, R and C have been allocated differentfunctions. The user can directly enter the character being pointed outby the cursor while the cursor 3 is moving through the matrix bypressing the key C. In contrast to the above-described embodiment, theuser need not to interrupt the animation of the cursor 3 first, so thatthe entering of characters by the user can take place much more quickly,with fewer keystrokes being required.

After the key C has been struck, the character indicated by the cursor 3is directly entered, after which the animation or the movement of thecursor 3 through the matrix is automatically continued. The Key R can beused to reverse the direction of movement of the cursor 3 “from left toright” into “from right to left” or “downwards from above” into “upwardsfrom below”. The key L is now linked to the interruption function in thesituation where the user wishes to perform another operation.

In the interruption state (that is, after the key L has been struck),different functions are allocated to the keys U, D, L and R. Furthermorein the interruption state the key C is used for entering the characterindicated by the stationary cursor. The key U can be used to present thecharacter in question in upper case or in lower case, while the key Rcan be used to delete the character entered last. The key R is used forentering a space, while the key D is used to resume the animation of thecursor 3 through the matrix.

In this embodiment, the entering of a character can take place much morequickly, whilst in addition it is possible to allocate differentfunctions to the keys in the various operating states or to allocatedifferent functions to one key in one operating state. This makes itpossible to fit an electronic device implementing the method accordingto the invention with a considerably smaller number of keys.

FIG. 2 shows a different embodiment of an electronic device whichimplements the method according to the invention. In this embodiment,the keys U, D, L, R and C are integrated in one key, which is in theform of a so-called rotary button or rocker button in the presentembodiment. This enables the user to operate the electronic device witha thumb, so that the entering of characters takes place much morequickly, which thus enhancing the ergonomic ease of operation of theelectronic.

FIG. 2 furthermore discloses a different presentation of the cursor 3 bymeans of lines of intersection 4 a and 4 b.

It will be apparent that the method according to the invention, whichemploys a cursor which moves automatically through a matrix, makes itpossible to use a significantly smaller number of keystrokes forentering characters into an electronic device implementing the methodaccording to the invention. The additional creation of differentoperating states, wherein a different function can be allocated to akey, enables a further simplification of an electronic device in thatthe user can then enter a character sequence while using fewer keysand/or keystrokes.

A ‘computer program’ is to be understood to mean any software productstored on a computer-readable medium, such as a floppy-disk,downloadable via a network, such as the Internet, or marketable in anyother manner.

1. A method for entering a character sequence consisting of one or more characters into an electronic device (1), which device also comprises keys for entering keystrokes by a user as well a display panel (2) for presenting information to the user, wherein a group of characters is presented on the display panel in the form of a matrix composed of rows and columns, wherein at least one specific character can be pointed out by means of a cursor (3) which is movable through said matrix, and wherein the character sequence is constructed by pointing out consecutive characters in the sequence one by one by means of the cursor and entering the character in question by means of a keystroke, characterized in that in order to enter a specific character from the character sequence the cursor moves automatically in a first direction through a specific row or column, thereby sequentially pointing out the characters in said row or column, and in that the automatically moving cursor can be moved towards the row or the column of the specific character by means of one or more first and/or second keystrokes (U, D).
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it is possible to change the automatic movement of the cursor through the matrix from the first direction of movement into a second direction of movement, opposing to said first direction of movement, by means of at least one third keystroke and/or at least one fourth keystroke.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the movement of the cursor in the row or column in question is interrupted by means of a fifth keystroke.
 4. A method as claimed in any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the character pointed out by the cursor can be entered by means of a first keystroke.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the character pointed out by the cursor is displayed either in upper case or in lower case by means of a second keystroke.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the character entered last is deleted by means of a third keystroke.
 7. A method as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that a space can be entered by means of a fourth keystroke.
 8. A method as claimed in any one or more of the claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the automatic movement of the cursor in the row or the column in question is resumed by means of a second fifth keystroke.
 9. A method as claimed in any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the same key is used for said third and said fourth keystroke.
 10. An electronic device, for example a portable telephone, which also comprises keys which enable a user to enter keystrokes, as well as a display panel for presenting information to the user, which device is suitable for entering a character sequence composed of one or more successive characters, and comprises means for presenting a group of characters on said display panel in the form of a matrix composed of rows and columns, as well as means for pointing out at least one specific character by means of a cursor which is movable through said matrix, characterized in that in order to enter a specific character from the character sequence there are provided means for moving the cursor automatically in a first direction through a specific row or column, the cursor thus sequentially pointing out the characters in said row or column, and in that further means are provided for moving the automatically moving cursor towards the row or the column of the specific character by means of one or more first and/or second keystrokes (U, D).
 11. A computer program product enabling a programmable device when executing said computer program product to function as a device as defined in claim
 10. 